1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game apparatus that detects a movement of a player and then operates a game according to the movement detected, and so on.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of a game apparatus today typically has an input device used by a player to enter various control commands, and the input device has an operating unit manipulated by the player to play the game. The operating unit of the input device of the game apparatus is typically a joy-hand, a joystick or similar device. When the player manipulates the operating unit while playing a game, the input device sends a signal indicative of the player's action to the game system. The game apparatus then performs a particular game process, such as moving or otherwise operating the object in the game image affected by the player's action. A drawback to game apparatuses having such a conventional input device is that while the player uses the player's hands and feet to manipulate the operating unit and play the game, it is difficult for the player to enjoy the experience of using the entire body to play the game.
Video game apparatuses having a CCD camera or other imaging device are known from the literature as one attempt to solve this problem. This type of video game apparatus uses the imaging device to image the player. A feature extraction process then removes the background from the captured image to extract an image of just the player. The shape (body shape) and actions of the player are then recognized using the result of this feature extraction process.
Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No.hei-7-155467, for example, teaches a video game apparatus of this type. The video game apparatus described in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No.hei-7-155467 uses a CCD camera to capture an image of the player in front of a screen. The captured image is then converted to a digital image signal to which a feature extraction process is applied to remove the background and extract only the player. More specifically, color differences between the screen color and the color of the player in the captured image are used to extract an image of just the player. This operation focuses on the screen color (which is blue), and uses a blue extraction circuit to remove the screen (that is, the background image).
This video game apparatus displays an instruction pattern having white or red areas near the four corners of the screen. The player holds a white or red flag in each hand and appropriately raises and lowers the flags according to the pattern displayed on the screen. The game apparatus detects whether the color of the flag raised or lowered by the player matches the color displayed on the screen.
The video game apparatus according to an earlier development as described above, has the following technical problem. Since the player is photographed by the CCD camera, more specifically, the characteristic extracting process or the like for detecting the movement of the player takes such a long operation time as to make it difficult to establish the processing rate desired for the execution of the game. Therefore, the recognition (the pattern recognition) of the flag raised and lowered by the player in the video game apparatus as disclosed in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No.hei-7-155467, is decided depending on whether or not the color data of the flag exceed a predetermined amount (or area) at a predetermined region. Accordingly, a match or mismatch is thus determined using the flag color, so that the video game apparatus does not detect the action itself of the player.
As one game apparatus for the player to enjoy the game physically with the whole body, there is known a game apparatus for a dance game. This game apparatus comprises an input unit having a plurality of switches to be turned ON/OFF by the weight or the like of the player, and the player plays the game on that input unit. Specifically, the game apparatus for playing this dance game is constructed such that the game can be progressed while calculating the score by detecting whether or not the player depresses (or rides on) the switches at a given timing. Therefore, the game apparatus does not detect and decide the dance itself of the player, but the dance game is realized and held by detecting the input timing to the input unit.
However, a problem with the above video game apparatus taught in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No.hei-7-155467 is that an extremely complex image process is required to capture an image of player's movement and identify player's movement within the image. In addition, player's movement is detected by a pattern recognition process based on the color of flags held in the player's hands. It is therefore not possible to play the game if the player is not holding flags of the correct colors, and players cannot be said to enjoy experiencing playing the game with the entire body. The result, therefore, is that the game is played with only hand's movements detected using flags, which function as the above-noted operating unit.
Furthermore, the game is played by the player simply raising and lowering red or white flags held in the hands to match a particular pattern having red or white areas displayed in the four corners of the screen. The game is thus extremely simple.
Further, as described above, either the video game apparatus, as disclosed in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No.hei-7-155467, or the game apparatus for the dance game according to an earlier development progresses the game by the simple movement of raising the flag in the given region or by the simple input of depressing the given switch. Therefore, the game contents are monotonous, and the inputting action is specified to a predetermined movement to depress the switch so that the game apparatus is troubled by the following problem. It is entrusted on the player whether or not the player plays the game by using the entire body. In other words, the game apparatus only decides whether or not the switch is depressed. Therefore, the movement on the player side has no relation to the progress or score of the game so that it results in the so-called “waste”.
Furthermore, according to the video game apparatus as disclosed in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No.hei-7-155467, since the player would be indicated with an answer upon the display of the instruction patterns on the four corners of the screen, the apparatus is incapable of giving clues to allow the player to guess a correct movement or providing incorrect clues to confuse the player. Accordingly, the only factor reflected to the game result is the quickness of the player's movement, rendering the game quite simple, so that the player may quickly loose his interest in playing the game.